Blog #10

Comic by Zach Weinsersmith. URL: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-08-09

This modern online cartoon by Zach Weinsersmith takes an interesting look at the logic and classic characters from the Rapunzel fairy tale. Rapunzel is a popular story that has been adapted many times. The original Grimm version tells the story of a helpless maiden who is doomed to live in a tall tower because her parents stole from an evil witch's garden. Rapunzel eventually meets a handsome prince who she accepts as her husband, but when the witch discover's the truth Rapunzel's hair is cut off and she is banished. The devastated prince jumps out of the tower, blinding himself on the thorns below, and wonders blindly until he hears the voice of Rapunzel who is able to heal his eyes.

 The Disney movie version of the story is about Rapunzel who is is entrapped so the evil Mother Gothel can use her magic hair, but leaves the tower to go on an adventure to learn more about her heritage and the mysterious lights that fill the sky on her birthday. When Mother Gothel discovers she reveals her true evil nature and stabs Rapunzel's companion. Mother Gothel is only defeated when Rapunzel's hair is cut and Rapunzel's companion is healed with her tears.

This comic flips both of those versions on their heads by exploring a more sinister version of Rapunzel who is classically depicted as a helpless maiden. In this version there is no appearance or illusion to the existence of an evil witch who has trapped Rapunzel, instead it seems like Rapunzel is there of her own freewill in order to trick and trap the princes who try to save her. This is clever because Rapunzel is always shown as the helpless trapped princess who needs to be saved, but this comic suggests that it is actually the princes that need to be saved. The prince's logic in the comic is a clear rejection of the magic and suspension of disbelief found in fairy tales. This possibility of Rapunzel escaping is explored in the modern movie but is never even considered in the original story because it would ruin the magic and symbolism of the tale.

Blog #9

"Bluebeard" is an iconic story with many different versions from many different authors and cultures. In class, we studied "The Robber Bridegroom" and "Fitcher's Bird" by the Brothers Grimm and"Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault. These three stories are all very similar in their construction and themes. A beautiful young woman, often the youngest of two or three sisters, is the main protagonist in all three tales. And in all three tales the young woman is able to defeat their evil fiance or husband through their own clever schemes. These tales all present a clever and witty side of woman and an oppressive and abusive side of men. In all three stories, the man has a history of chopping up and sometimes eating women. The protagonists learn this through curiosity and and expose the men through trickery.

These stories all share a central idea, but there are many elements that make them all unique from one another. First, "The Robber Bridegroom" follows a girl who ventures off to meet her fiance, but his house is empty except for an old woman who warns her to hide. The girl then sees her fiance and his friends chopping apart a woman to eat, and her chopped off finger falls into the girls hiding place. After she and the old woman escape, the girl exposes her husband and his friends by telling a story of what she saw and showing off the finger. Next, "Fitcher's Bird" begins with the protagonist's two older sisters being kidnapped by an old wizard, who dismembers them when he finds that the eggs he gave them are bloody, meaning they went into the room full of his prior victims. When the third daughter is kidnapped, she goes into the room and puts her sisters back together, but leaves the egg behind. The wizard is convinced she did not go into the room and wants to marry her, but the girl tricks him into carrying her hidden sisters back home, and when the wizard and his friends gather in his house for the wedding, the sister's family sets it on fire. Lastly, "Bluebeard" is about a wealthy man who no one wants to marry because of his blue beard. When he gets a wife and goes on a trip, she goes into a room she was not supposed to and finds all his previous murdered wives. He discovers when he sees that the key has blood on it, but she escapes death by stalling until her brothers can arrive to kill him.

My favorite of the three tales was "Fitcher's Bird" because the protagonist was very clever and managed to outsmart the wizard, save her sisters, have the wizard deliver gold to her family, and kill not only the wizard but also his friends all with one convoluted and brilliant scheme. My least favorite was "Bluebeard" because the protagonist was pretty helpless and the moral made it seem like the woman was the villain for her curiosity instead of the hero.

Sources: https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.607278879.2721/flat,750x,075,f-pad,750x1000,f8f8f8.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/20/a4/f320a466fd2af4cb6aee4b9b092a1143.jpg

https://cdn.britannica.com/23/6723-050-87ADDE3F/Bluebeard-illustration-Gustave-Dore.jpg

Blog #8

The classic Grimm fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" is a dark and hauntingly human tale about a brother and sister who must work together to defeat the evil found in the woods and return home. Over the years this famous story has been adapted many times into many forms of literature, film, and television. One of these adaptions is the 1987 MGM film. This more traditional adaption contains many strong similarities to the original fairy tale, but it also has many major differences.

A lot of the important themes from the original story are still present in the film. For example, Hansel and Gretel are still young siblings who are extremely close and care for each other very much. Hansel and Gretel also remain the main protagonists of the story and outwit the witch with their clever schemes instead of relying on magic or adults to save them. The siblings also come from a very poor family that struggles to find enough food to eat, just like the original story. These themes were all important to keep because they show a realistic depiction of life in that time period and illustrate to children that they have the power to defeat challenges in life.

Most of the changes made to plot were for purposes of entertainment and to make the story lighter for young audiences. For example, one of the biggest changes was that Hansel and Gretel got lost in the woods by accident, instead of being abandoned by their parents on purpose. In the movie the parents both love the children and are distraught when they find out the children are missing. Another change was that the other children kidnapped by the witch were rescued in the end instead of being presumed dead or eaten. Overall, the movie version was just more complicated and involved a lot of complex plot points that were never mentioned in the original like the baker, the witch's magical staff, and all of the songs. These changes were all made by the movie makers in order to make the film longer, more interesting, lighter, and more child friendly.

Sources: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi6htvG9N3lAhVDn-AKHeJJAPkQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHansel_e_Gretel_(film_1987)&psig=AOvVaw1v1zjmY21TWEvhoQlQ0Y6_&ust=1573415686833599

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj5q5vz9N3lAhVjT98KHWv4B_kQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26ved%3D%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FHansel_and_Gretel%26psig%3DAOvVaw3OHY2pRaHa7mCDG_5n2vHP%26ust%3D1573415647574275&psig=AOvVaw3OHY2pRaHa7mCDG_5n2vHP&ust=1573415647574275

Blog #7

"Dizzy Red Riding Hood" is a Betty Boop cartoon from Fleischer Studios. The original black and white cartoon came out in 1931 and was directed by Dave Fleischer and produced by Max Fleischer. The story follows the iconic cartoon character of Betty Boop as a mature and sexualized version of Little Red. Betty prepares a basket at home before venturing into the woods to visit her grandma, despite the trees warning her of a wolf in the forest. Bimbo, a character who serves as Betty's main love interest in many Betty Boop cartoons, follows her into the woods. A hungry wolf spots Betty and follows her with a knife and fork. Bimbo sees the wolf who is about to attack Betty and drags him into a tree before skinning him and putting on the wolf's skin as a disguise. Bimbo, now dressed as the wolf, follows Betty to her grandmother's house and lays in her bed. When Betty arrives she comments on his large, manly physical features. The cartoon ends with Bimbo revealing his true identity and kissing Betty.

This adaption of the classic fairy tale clearly has many significant differences in both plot and theme. As soon as the cartoon begins we see that there is no mother to tell Betty the rules or help preserve her innocence. The only mention we get of a mother is when Betty tells Bimbo he shouldn't come with her because her mother wouldn't like that. In the original Grimm fairy tale Little Red knows that there are wolves in the forest or that they are bad, because she is completely innocent. In the cartoon, however, Betty is actively warned about the danger of wolves but ventures on anyway. In the original tale the wolf tricks Little Red so that he can eat both her and her grandma, but in the cartoon the wolf attempts to eat Betty right away. Bimbo is a very interesting character in the cartoon because he could be compared to both the wolf and the huntsman. It is true that he saves Betty from the initial wolf, but he also tricks Betty in order to satisfy his own sexual desire. When he reveals his true identity at the end Betty actually seems happy to see him despite him lying and taking advantage of her.


This is clearly a social cartoon that strongly reflects the trends and beliefs of the 1931 time period. Betty is portrayed as an idiotic and sexually mature girl who is easily manipulated by the male figures around her as a form of comedy. Bimbo is supposed to be seen by the audience as the male protagonist and love interest despite the fact that he ignored Betty's order telling him not to follow her into the woods, violently skinned a wolf in order to wear his skin, lied to Betty by disguising himself as both the wolf and the grandmother, and tricked her in order to take advantage of her sexually. The fact that all these actions are supposed to be seen as acceptable and funny makes me really not like the cartoon. Additionally, Betty Boop never gets the rebirth and redemption arc that Little Red gets in the original story. Originally, Little Red survives her initial attack, learns from it, and is able to outsmart the next wolf she meets. In the cartoon however, Betty never learns anything and will probably continue to be taken advantage of by every man she meets.

Here is a link to the Youtube video

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-LDzzs-Wg

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjbrq-WuszlAhXCdN8KHV2rA5sQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHkAFH1ynzVk&psig=AOvVaw1WgEvpBkyagNohH64eooDz&ust=1572815940544961

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjN19WsuszlAhWyUt8KHS3dD18QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themoviedb.org%2Fmovie%2F144808-dizzy-red-riding-hood&psig=AOvVaw1WgEvpBkyagNohH64eooDz&ust=1572815940544961